The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-08-26
ANEcDOTE OF MENDELsSOHN.
Detecting One I Sharp Ia T"enty-six
Violins. with Chorus and Orchestra.

Detecting ms 4 Sharp Ia Twenty-six
Violins, with Chorus and Orchestra.
Carl Zerrahn, the veteran conductor Of
the Boston Handel and .Iaydn society,
spent the month Of July on Staten Island.
10 talk with him, 80 one would Imagine
tina. his Boston career alone extends over
thirty four years and that before he set
tied i'm the New England capital he had
Travelled through the length and breadth
Of the United States for six years as a
member Of the famous Germania Orches-
ira. lie is still hale, hearty and yigOr-
Gus. a t%ireless worker, and bubbles over
with enthusiasm SO soon rs he gets into
the company Of musicians. He has an
in~exhaustible fund Of anecdOte and remin-
%iscence. and. like those who remain OF his
old associates, loves 20 recall the pioneer
work done by the Germania in behalf Of
orchestral music over a generation q
Here is one Of Mr.. Zerrahn's fayorite
anecdotes which he repeated To some
musical friends over q glass of Wurz-
burger: 1T was I'm 1912 or '43, / am not
sure Of the year, that ! went 10 Schwerin
10 attend q music festival which Mendcls-
sohn was 20 conduct. Now YOU know
McudclssOhn was "a great musician and il
was not necessary for him 60 resort TO
tricks tO advertise himself, but az this
festival occurred an incident which still
lives i'm the memory of German musicians
as the MendclssOhnsche Els Geschichte'-
the Mcudel,,ohu + sharp story. You
may explain il 10 suit yourselves. The
orchestra WAS q large one-twenty-six
...Ta.. H.,I-I 1r L.uHfruH.l nurrtN uUl
the chorus about 500 voices. At the last
general rehearsal for st. Paul i'm the
chorus. % great is the depth Mendels-
sohu suddenly raped on his desk 10 cOm-
maud silence and said. At one OF the
last violin stands somebody played +
sharp instead II f. His friend David
Immediately jumped mp and went from
stand 90 stand inspecting the parts. When
he reached the last he cried out: I've
found 10, Herr Doctor; here is
the J. sharp OF course the mu-
sicians and singers We're lost in admira-
ton Of such a@cutcntss of hearing, and after
the rehearsal when ] went 10 the beer
house with some of the orchestra players
nothing was 20 be heard except EXPIRES
sious of WOudora 40 DR.. Mendelssohn' keen
ear. Now ! leave 10 TO any conductor 10
tell whether there ever has existed or can
exist am ear able 10 detect one + sharp in
twenty six yiolins, with chorus, organ and
orchestra playing tutti. But hear the
sequel. While We were talking about the
incident i'm came a v|ioliuist who had sat
at the last desk. Immediately he was
surrounded.
GLOW was it with that + sharp
"a very singular performance that ?
sharp said the fiddler dryly. DO YOU
know. my partner belongs 10 the military
band and had TO go on parade, so he was
absent from rehearsal this morning; and
when DR.. Meudelssohn heard that +
sharp which the concertmeister found in
my part / was engaged in putting on a
new string
'.And the whole thing was a petty con-
spiracy between Mendelssohn and David
90 exploit the former
81 don't explain 10; but the sharp before
the + was written in lead pencil, and you
can't hear one i sharp under such circum-
stances, can you now' and Mendelssohn
was not dependent on such tricks for his
reputation. was hef'-New York Tribune.